Fire probe finds Gul Plaza lease was granted illegally: Nasir Shah

KARACHI: Sindh’s Local Council’s Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Tuesday said that the inquiry finds that the Gul Plaza shopping mall’s lease was illegally granted adding that Farooq Sattar was Karachi’s mayor at that time.

“I don’t give serious attention to what Farooq Sattar says,” talking to media here provincial minister said.

Local government’s minister said that the investigation pointed out irregularities in issuance of the lease of the plot. He said the lease was issued illegally and at that time the city’s mayor was Farooq Sattar.

He said we used to face allegations and inquiries, which mostly based on personal grudges. “An immediate action taken promptly whenever an irregularity surfaces”.

“We have standing instructions from Bilawal Bhutto against corruption and irregularities,” minister said.

MQM-Pakistan leader and former mayor Farooq Sattar has demanded to make the report of the judicial probe on Gul Plaza fire incident public. “People should know, who has been responsible and who has committed criminal negligence”.

A judicial commission after inquiring into the incident has submitted its report to the government recently.

The devastating fire that broke out and engulfed Gul Plaza on the night of January 17, claimed dozens of lives, and continued for more than 32 hours before it was brought under control. In the shopping mall fire over 73 people lost their lives.